Well, my quiver right now is an Exocet wind-sup, ultrasonic 147, and xcite-ride 145. I need a better jiber that will still plane in my typical conditions which is why I want to add an Atomiq 120 or a simmer freemove 120 - I just found a us based vendor for the simmer freemove which got an interesting review in windsurf UK a few months ago - it was the smoothest and fastest on test but some testers disliked how it felt less lively than the other boards. I think fast and smooth sounds good though.

I also have a Bic electric rock I rescued from the trash that my kids use as a sup board, I've never sailed it - hoping there will be enough wind to try it this weekend just for kicks.

I don't wave sail anymore. These days I have a 2 board quiver. The 110 freemove and a 96 liter Tabou 3s Once the Atom110 starts to get big the 3s fits right in. The smallest sail I uses these days is a 4.7.. If it gets windier than that , I sit and watch. Knees and back can't take the ruff water anymore..

I am thinking that a light wind board - like a real wide early planer (my old Formula board, a Supersonic, a JP Super Lightwind) or a Kona or Kona CarbOne, and one of these, and a freestyle wave, would be a fine 3-board quiver for a lot of us.

I agree. With the local irregular wind we have, I prefer a Kona. A freemove around 110l is a good step down and a FSW of maybe 95l would complete a nice board quiver for me.

Just had my first outing on a rrd firemove 120 with a 6.3 and 8.0. Wavy great lakes conditions and super gusty. Really enjoyed the board ! Need a longer fin for the 8.0.
Very easy to sail. Planes easy. Turns very well. Easy to uphaul at 190 lbs. great in chop.
Looks like a good choice.

Sailed my RRD V2 122 tonight in probably 13 14 (no whitecaps) with a 7.5 Lion. I felt that the stock fin was not quite big enough; also, the weeds are now a problem, and that inhibited planing.

But, I did slog out to the channel, dismount to clear the weeds, and got some nice rides. I got around a couple of gybes, although I came off the plane and had to save it as the board headed up into the wind. But, I stayed dry. I have a feeling that the more I sail it, the better; maybe I don't need to try to turn it quite as fast.

Now I need to get a couple of good weed fins. I have an 18" one, but it looks huge, and weighs a ton for the 122. AS a matter of fact, I checked out the weed fin on my Formula board and it is the same size - so I need a couple that are smaller.

The board is very comfortable once planing, and slogs more comfortably than my 135 X-Cite Ride. Once on a plane, it feels smaller. Now I get what others in other threads were saying.

Sailed tonight in 25 gusting to over 30. Rigged my new 5.5 Cheetah, which is currently my smallest sail. I started on the Firemove 122; where I sail is very choppy in 25 - 35 conditions.

The Firemove was pretty darn easy to sail. And, because of the width, it glides through jibes (gybes) and enabled me to save a bunch. In the choppy conditions, it didn't seem like a handful; the board sort of rides above the chop.

I also tried to sail my All Ride 116, thinking that it would be a better 5.5 board. But, that board was actually harder to sail. It might have been a bit faster, but it was much less forgiving in the gybes.

As I am 60 and a bit out of shape (but getting stronger each time I sail), the Firemove enabled me to stay dry a whole bunch of times in the gibes, and a couple of them were very clean. The All ride was much harder work. Because of the Firemove's width, it stays gliding through the gybes longer, and enabled me to complete a bunch that the All Ride did not.

I am beginning to appreciate the board. I would have loved to have tried the next size down tonight, or a Gecko 110.

WELCOM to the world of short wide boards. Isn't it fun. In my post about the freemoves board, I try to steer people towards trying the next size down as these boards work so well in lite and gusty winds. I have the Atom 110. A great board but have found that all I needed is the 100. I already have one ordered, just need to sell the 110....

I bought a used Firemove 120 last spring and it wasn't for me. It was a planing machine for sure but in 5.5 or 6.0 conditions even in Hatteras my feet started to hurt after an hour from the slight harshness of hitting the chop. The real issue for me though was jibing such a wide board. It was like "two steps over and two steps back". Having a board that requires a totally different technique to jibe compared to my other boards is just out of the question. I sold it in 2 days at Wind-NC and bought a 2014 Rocket 125 which I just love but let's stay on topic here. I also have Tabou 3s boards in 116, 96 and 86 liters. My previous board was a Fanatic Hawk 108 which was amusing but the aching feet were a real problem. My days of blasting back and forth are over apparently and I find that a smooth riding board with good pads is what works best for me. The Rocket and 3s boards are both fast and smooth.

A. That's why I love wave boards, particularly slightly narrower ones. Much better turning AND much better ride AND and plenty of speed and upwind ability if powered up. Many of the wide boards compromise one or two of those features, replacing those ANDs with ORs. My reaction when blasting across big chopswell as fast as I can go is something like, "My GOD but this board is silky; no WONDER very few people pass me." (Reality check: I'm NOT at the Event Site, where the bona fide and wannabe speedheads hang out.)

B. Whatever ya got, add more pads under your heels. Short of losing track of what the hull is doing, the more cush the better. Just slapping a piece of self-stick pad under each heel make a very noticeable difference with run-of-the-mill OEM pads. OTOH, IMO, and FYI, there's nothing like a hull DESIGNED to both ride smoothly and carve insanely when flat out in harsh terrain. I've paid from $10 to $2,000 (on sale) for boards like that, so they fit any budget.

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